up and running again

I’ve gotta get back into running shape. I just completed a 5-mile race last Sunday morning. It was the first time I covered that distance in a really long time and let me tell you…I’m feeling it – in my legs, my hips. Ouch. While I am happy that I crossed the finish line without dropping dead, I completed it really slowly.

My next race is a 10K in about a month. My goal is to improve my pace and improve my level of running fitness. Why am I so gung-ho about getting back into running? Well, yesterday I registered for the lottery for the NYC Half Marathon on March 18th. My chances are slim of being picked in the lottery (I didn’t get in last year, nor did 30K of my fellow NYC area runners), but if I miraculously make it in, I am going to have to really ramp up training.

I totally let running fall to the wayside when I was with St. Elmo. I’m not entirely sure why, since he’s a runner too. But the winter was so evil and I didn’t want to run outside, much less wake up early in the morning to do it. Then we broke up and I wasn’t physically or mentally able to run. Then I had that ankle sprain. That took me through the summer waiting for it to heal. Then I ran out of excuses. Fall came and I did a couple races, but my desire to run was gone.

Now, I feel it coming back. I want to tie on my shoes and get out there and hit the pavement (or treadmill, though reluctantly). I need to do it. Running is always a challenge for me and I feel the need to challenge myself these days.

Thanks, Esme. I won’t forget who I am. I’m not so sure it was losing myself to the relationship as much as losing myself to laziness and hatred of the cold/snow. I’m inherently lazy when it comes to exercise and I don’t love running, so running falling to the wayside was an easy slippery slope for me to slide down. (Even this morning it was raining and that was my excuse not to go to the gym. I really have the worst motivation)